Movie Review: The Conjuring

“The Conjuring,” a R-rated horror film, opened in theaters everywhere Friday, July 19; earning 41.5 million in its first weekend.

The demonic ghost tale is vividly depicted in an old school flair. Director James Wan uses classic horror tricks such as floorboard-creaking, door slams and flashing mirrors to get a scream out of the audience opposed to modern bloody gore filled tactics. The movie is stuffed with pop up scares to distract the audience from the simple dialogue. If you are looking for a scary movie with twist and turns and mystery then you will be disappointed. “The Conjuring” successfully tells a ghost story but fails to captivate you or make you think twice about anything in the film. The underlying plot mimics other ghost tales; a family under financial distress moves into an old run down house in a small town and soon starts experiencing paranormal occurrences. “The Conjuring” sends a chill down your spine on the notion of it being based on a true story. The movie does give you a good scare or two. The cast, technical work and cinematography were exceptional giving the film a realistic aspect.  Overall the movie was a step up from the directors previous ghost tale, “Insidious,” being more heart racing and dramatic in terms of demonic possession.

“The Conjuring” was tastefully scary; meaning it wasn’t too overbearing but will probably make you scream. Wan has done a great job at creating an effectively thrilling horror film. Its hype is a bit of an exaggeration. After seeing this movie you won’t need to sleep with lights on or a crucifix. “The Conjuring” depicts a rare paranormal occurrence that’s dramatized through film to have you shaking in your boots until the credits start rolling. The scare is effective, but only throughout the duration of the film.

Through his direction Wan has successfully produced a chilling ghost tale executed tastefully. Though it lacks impacting dialogue it’s still a great movie. I definitely give it a 9 out of 10.

By KayLynn Harris, Junior, Whitney Young